Passport Privacy Protection? Nope
By Associated Press
11:10 AM Nov. 27, 2004 PT
WASHINGTON --
The Bush administration opposed security measures for new microchip-equipped passports that privacy advocates contended were needed to prevent identity theft, government snooping or a terror attack, according to State Department documents released Friday.
The passports, scheduled to be issued by the end of 2005, could be read electronically from as far away as 30 feet, according to the American Civil Liberties Union, which obtained the documents under a Freedom of Information Act request.
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"There is little risk here since we plan to store only currently collected data with a facial image," he wrote. "The U.S. will recommend against the use of PINs (personal identification numbers) or other methods that might be required to unlock a chip for reading."
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All new U.S. passports issued by the end of 2005 are expected to have a chip containing the owner's name, birth date, issuing office and a "biometric" identifier -- a photo of the owner's face. The ACLU warns that the chips ultimately might contain far more data and be embedded in drivers' licenses.
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http://www.wired.com/news/privacy/0,1848,65856,00.html?tw=rss.POL